It's the Little Things
by Fire Kitten
Summary: Not really sure what a 'date' is, Bart's uncertain what to expect when he accepts Jaime's invitation to one. What he does receive by the end of it is something he's never had before but becomes determined to hold onto. [Bluepulse]


**Summary:** Not really sure what a 'date' is, Bart's uncertain what to expect when he accepts Jaime's invitation to one. What he does receive by the end of it is something he's never had before but becomes determined to hold onto.

**Rating:** K

_This is dedicated to tumblr user batfamruinslives, who both subtly encouraged me to write this and who writes a ton of beautiful little stories and prompts for others and never seems to ask for anything in return. So here is a gift from me!_

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><p>Bart had never been on a date before. In fact, he hadn't even realized what the word itself meant so when Jaime, all nervous gestures and mumbling words, asked him to go on one of these 'dates', Bart had thought he meant literally and said, "My time machine's broken, remember hermano? I can't go onto any dates anymore." This led to a lot of confusion and a few hurt feelings until they both figured out they were just misunderstanding each other. When the other hero clarified Bart turned from slightly offended to immensely apologetic. Despite trying to learn all he could about the past such as government structures, international policy, law and punishment, educational systems, food distribution and the necessity of currency, something as distracting as courtship social cues never really hit the lesson plan.<p>

But that didn't stop Bart from saying yes. Because even if he couldn't quite grasp the concept of 'the date' he did know enough to figure out Jaime was asking him to be with him like Tim was with Cassie or M'Gaan was with Connor. And to imagine the two of them like that was very, very crash.

He still let the other teen decide the date though, which ended up being them tearing through two tubs of popcorn at the theater while they ran commentary over the terrible movie they had chosen to watch.

"So okay, I understand the whole wipe his memory so he forgets he has superpowers while waiting to take him to trial thing but what I really don't get is, if he was this totally moded psychopath, why would these super smart Functu-whatever people think it's a good idea to just leave him on Earth? I mean, wouldn't it make more sense to put him in a jail cell?" Bart rambled as they walked down the sidewalk, heading the two blocks from the bus stop to Jaime's house. The sun was already low on the horizon, the sky above turning a deep azure that reminded him of Blue's armor.

"Well, they probably thought since he forgot how to use his powers, he would never remember how and it would be harmless." Jaime replied, eyes flicking towards him – but not at his face, somewhere lower, towards the concrete beside his left shoe.

Disregarding that, Bart shook his head. "Dude that would be like me forgetting that I had super speed and then suddenly I step forward and I'm two hundred miles away. I think I would notice something pretty darn fast. Uh, pun not… nah, actually that pun was totally intended."

The Hispanic chuckled beside him, his gaze still diverted. "Me, I'd get a running commentary the minute I woke up. Which… wouldn't be all that different from the first time the scarab fused to my spine."

"Bet Khaji would get his beetle wings all ruffled if he found out you forgot about him. He'd be all, 'Jaime Reyes, this scarab is very displeased by your mental performance. I told you we should have incinerated them all! Why do you never listen to me – or buy the Bart Allen all the Chicken Whizzies he can eat?'" He pitched his voice in a low monotone like the Zetabeam broadcaster and lifted his hands to flap them, mimicking what he imagined the AI unit would look like if it was more animated. As he did, he felt two of Jaime's fingers brush along his knuckles. Huh, weird.

Besides him, the elder laughed uneasily, stuffing his hands into his pockets and sparing a glance over his shoulder. After a brief pause, he said, "That's creepy. He just said you're right."

"Even about the chicken whizzies part?"

"No ese. Never about the chicken whizzies part."

Bart grinned, shrugging his shoulders. "Can't blame a hungry speedster for trying."

Jaime shook his head exasperatedly as they turned onto his street. "You're always hungry."

"Gotta be if I'm gonna get taller than you." He replied, shoving his friend's – boyfriend's – arm.

"Heh, you wish." He replied with a smirk that fell when his eyes darted towards his back again. "I'm going to ignore you said that."

That, however, perked his interest as he leaned in close. "What? Said what? What'd Khaji say?"

"Nothing!" He replied quickly. A little too quickly.

Bart smirked. "He said I was gonna get taller then you, didn't he? He used some super special beetly calculations and figured it out, diiidn't he?" When Jaime looked away without responding, he threw his fists up in the air. "Ha, ha I knew it! Score one for the Allen family genes!"

The elder rolled his eyes. "Alright, no need to rub it in."

"Don't worry hermano! Being a little short is totally crash." Bart said, throwing a comforting arm around his shoulder, his smile turning wicked. "I won't look down on you… _much!_ Hahahahaha!"

He continued to laugh even as Jaime shoved his palm into his face and pushed him away. "Very funny, listillo."

He calmed enough to say, "Ah come on don't be so _short_-tempered!" And then he was right back to laughing, hard enough to bring tears to his eyes.

That was until the other hero reached out, pulling him into a headlock and giving him a vicious noogie. "You're not taller than me yet niñito!"

"Ack! Let go!"

"Say uncle!"

"Aaah! Okay, okay uncle! No more jokes I swear!" He swore, wriggling. Jaime finally let up and Bart ran his hands through his hair – not that it did the windswept mess much good anyways.

As they turned down the walkway to the other's house, it hit him just how relaxed they both were. All throughout the date it had been awkward between them. Jaime had spent it trying to do everything right; opening the door for him, asking him if he wanted anything, trying to be polite as possible but the act made him uncomfortable and stiff. Bart understood the idea that the elder teen was trying to impress him but the entire notion was sort of silly because he was already impressed with him long before all this.

He, on the other hand, had felt like he had been tossed on an alien planet and told to find his way home without a map. Even coming back to the past where everything was different and new, had never made him feel so lost or out of place. He had only learned about 'dating' a few days ago and had no idea what he was supposed to actually do. And usually that wouldn't bother him but he knew the whole thing was really important to Jaime, more so as he watched how hard the other was trying, and the apprehension of disappointing him had only made him more anxious and fidgety.

But this, right here and now, this was how they always were and it was just fine.

"So, when are we doing this again?" Bart asked casually as they reached the porch.

"Uh," The Hispanic rubbed the back of his neck, the awkwardness trying to creep its way back in. "Wait so, you had a good time then?"

He rose an eyebrow. "Have I ever not?" He smiled, saying earnestly, "Come on, loosen up amigo. We don't have to change just because we upgraded our relationship status from friends to boyfriends do we? As far as I'm concerned, the 'friends' part's still there. And if we were crash then, then we're just gonna be even more crash now!"

Jaime seemed to reflect on that a moment before finally a smile pulled at his lips and he nodded. "Yeah, guess you're right. How about next Saturday then, same time?"

"A-okay with me."

"Alright. Alright, good." The words came out disjointed, like the elder forgot what he was saying as he grabbed the doorknob, but didn't make a move to open it. Instead, he looked back towards him, "Hey, Bart?"

"Hmm?" He hummed curiously in return, glancing over at the hand that reached out and rested on his shoulder. Didn't he just say they had to stop acting all moded? He turned his head back around, starting to speak, "Jaime, what-" Already leaning towards him, Jaime's mouth met his, effectively making him forget that he was saying anything at all.

_Whoa._

The kiss wasn't long, no more than a couple seconds, but Bart would hold onto the memory forever of the warmth of those chapped lips against his own and the slight press of fingers against his back that sent a pleasant feeling tingling down his spine. And then the other was pulling away, leaving him lightheaded and his face felt unusually warm. "Good night." Jaime murmured.

"Great night." He replied dazedly and wow, that sounded kind of dumb but the elder only laughed softly before he went inside and that made it kind of wonderful. As the door shut, Bart slowly turned away from the house.

One second he was in El Paso. The next he was in California, shouting at the top of his lungs, "THAT WAS SO CRASH!" There was a flurry of wings as a flock of pigeons lifted off into the air from a nearby tree, squawking indignantly down at him. "Oops, sorry!" He called after them with a laugh, unable to contain his smile. _Absolutely_ unable to. Squirming with delight, he wrapped his arms around himself in a tight hug, trying to grasp onto the amazing sensation running through him and keep it inside.

He never knew he could be this happy.

He… He had to share it with someone! Maybe with the Garricks or his Grandpa or – No, wait! Grandma Iris! Making a woman happy when she was pregnant was healthy for her, right? And oh, maybe he could talk to his dad too still growing inside, tell him just how glad he and mom made him – would make him –that gave him the chance to have this moment right now.

With that plan in mind, he sped off towards Missouri and rewound every moment of the date in his head. He got about halfway there when realization struck him to a stop in a grassy field only a few meters away from the interstate. Yet, the rush of the traffic nearby did nothing to drown out his excited thoughts.

That strange brush of fingers on his knuckles earlier… Jaime had been trying to hold his hand!

He whipped out his cellphone, typing so rapidly he had to erase and rewrite about a half dozen times before the words became something comprehensible. _'Do we have to wait until next week? Can't we date tomorrow instead?'_

He squirmed some more, staring at the screen. He started to bounce on his heels when the gray box with three dots appeared that informed him the other person was writing a response. It took a whole fifteen seconds before the text came through. _'Sure. Where do you want to go?'_

He hugged the phone to his chest, laughing giddily and body swaying as another rush of joy ran through him. When he got ahold of himself a few moments later, he replied with, _'Anywhere. As long as it's with you, anywhere's crash.'_

He took off once more, mind filled with all the potential places Jaime might take him. He couldn't wait for tomorrow!

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><p><strong>AN: **Aaah, this was fun. I had this idea in my head for months and it was actually going to be a scene in another story of mine, but more as a flashback. After mentioning it to batfamruinslives though, I decided to flesh it out into a one shot for them instead and I really like the results.

Also, if you know where the plot of the 'movie' that Bart was talking about comes from, you win a virtual cookie. Hint: It was actually from a comic book.


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